Henderson, Nevada - Sunset Station Hotel & Casino
January 26
When Carter McKinney had envisioned what the perfect way would be to celebrate the one-year anniversary to Miles Kasey, he had meticulously planned what he had thought would be a day that would forever ingrain itself into the mind of Miles. However Miles himself had obviously been doing some planning of his own, and his one, loving act had thoroughly overtaken the evening in the most wondrous of ways and spelled out for the both of them a whole, entirely new future. Together.
It was now late into the evening and the door to their hotel suite opened and Miles held the door open wide with his right arm so that his now fiance’ could set foot inside first. Miles then followed him in and closed the door behind him, smiling as he noted that Carter had not taken his eyes off of the ring on his left hand since Miles had first placed it there. The fact alone soothed Miles in both heart and soul as he had been privately fearful in how Carter would react to his proposal, and whether or not he would actually accept given his past torments.
“Moonstone.” Carter whispered, finally tearing his eyes away from the bejeweled ring and looking up to Miles as he approached his side. “I still can’t believe you proposed with moonstone.”
“Nothing but.” Miles answered back with a smile, snuggling up to him from behind, both wrapping his arms around his waist and nuzzling his chin into that crevice between Carter’s neck and shoulder. “I know you’re built a bit backwards.” Miles teased in a joking manner. “You like orchids and not roses. Silver over gold and …” He lifted his chin and jetted it slightly toward Carter’s hand and observed, “And you prefer moonstone over diamonds because it’s your birthstone.”
Indeed, every point Miles stressed over the fact was made evident as while the moonstone was the jewel embedded in the band of the ring, the band itself was a specialized black silver that Miles had the jeweler custom made, unbeknownst to Carter. It fit the translucent blue of the moonstone perfectly. Say what you might, but Miles Kasey had great taste in jewelry and knew by instinct what would capture Carter’s heart and attention the most.
Miles turned his head gently so that his lips were closest to his fiance’s ears and he whispered, “Shall we go to bed?” And he felt that familiar shudder course its way through Carter’s lithe body, a familiar reaction that forever did Miles’s own ego a world of good. A year passed and he still had the same effect as when they first grew to know one another.
“Not yet.” Carter surprisingly answered over his shoulder with a twinkle in his eye. “I have to make a call first.”
Carter found a way to pry himself from out of Miles’s arms and he crossed the hotel room to the small desk in the far corner of the suite where his personal laptop was left lying. Miles slowly followed, his head tilted to the side in wonder as he asked, “A call? At this hour?”
“I have to tell Mom. And Grams.” Carter answered simply, pulling out the desk’s chair to make himself comfortable. Miles had a seat on the corner of the bed and his brow knitted into a concerned frown as he said, “Babe, it’s after midnight. Do you really want to wake them up?”
Carter looked back to Miles with a smile of his own, one he felt he would be wearing for a very long time, as he responded, “For this? I think they’ll understand.” His fingers started to rapidly click on the keyboard, bringing the personal computer to life. “Besides, Grams sometimes has trouble sleeping and leaves her messenger on, just in case.”
Carter had the app opened and sent off the video call request before Miles had the chance to point out to Carter that his Grams might mistake a late call for bad news. The excitement of the evening simply had been overwhelming and Carter had not taken the fact into account. The call request was going through and the ‘ringing’ of the messenger request went on, and just when it looked like Carter would give up for the night - the call was answered from Seattle and the face of his beloved grandmother filled the screen.
“Carter?” Joan “Grams” McKinney spoke up, her eyes tired from the aforementioned bouts of insomnia she suffered from. “Why are you calling so late? Is everything okay?”
“Yes, everything is fine, Grams.” Carter spoke up to assuage her initial fears. “And I’m sorry for calling this late but I have to talk to you and Mom. Can you get her?”
“Dear, she’s asleep.” Grams responded. “She works in the…”
“It’s important, Grams.” Carter stressed. “You’ll have to trust me. I wouldn’t be calling you if it wasn’t.”
Something in the matriarch’s face and eyes spoke of worry despite his assurances, but she gave him a nod and stood up, saying, “Give me a few moments to get her up.” Before she walked off camera.
Carter watched the screen bravely before he turned in a slight apprehensive expression of worry crossed his youthful face and he took a deep breath, saying, “Maybe you were right…”
Miles cocked his head to the side and shook it slightly with the fairest traces of a smile, responding with, “Too late now, babe. But I'll make sure to have that printed on a t-shirt to remind you next time.”
Carter smiled nervously as he and Miles both waited for Joan to return along with her daughter. A handful of nerve-wracking moments passed until finally the screen popped back to life, Joanna, who had obviously been awoken from a sound slumber, taking a seat at the table while Grams leaned into the frame.
Joanna wiped at her eyes with her fingers in an attempt to drive the sleep away as she asked, “Are you okay, dear? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong, Mom.” Carter answered. “But I have something important to tell the both of you and it couldn’t wait.”
“Well dear, much as I love hearing from you, it had better be important.” Joanna said as she finally appeared to be more alert. “I have to be up in five hours for work and…”
“Miles proposed!”
Joanna had been running a hand down her cheek, her fingertips gliding over her eyes when she froze at the words her son had just uttered. She and Grams both stared hard at the camera from their end of the call and Joanna finally broke the silence, her hand now covering her lips. “Say again?” She all but whispered.
“Miles proposed.” Carter repeated himself, this time bringing his left hand into the camera to show the black silver and moonstone ring that had been placed on his finger less than an hour ago. Both women stared at the ring as if attempting to process the overwhelming information all at once.
“When?” Was all that his Mom could bring herself to ask at the time, to which Carter answered, “About an hour ago. We were at dinner to celebrate our anniversary and he… he popped the question!”
Grams leaned in and asked, “And…?”
“And…” Carter felt himself smiling like he had never smiled before, as he answered, “I said yes.”
“Y-you’re getting…” By now Joanna had tears welling in her eyes at the news of her only son getting married to such a wonderful man as Miles, who had captured the hearts of the two most important women in Carter’s life. Carter could only nod in the affirmative when Joanna all but cried, “And you’re just NOW telling us!?”
Carter could not help but laugh, “Mom! He just proposed an hour ago!”
“Is he there?” Grams asked as she looked about the room from where she could see on the camera. She said aloud, “Miles Kasey! I heard you choke back that laugh!”
And in a fraction of a moment, Miles was now standing behind Carter, his arms outstretched to either side of his fiance and hands gripping the edge of the desk. If the idea of proposing and risking a denial had Miles feeling the proverbial butterflies, that sensation was compounded as he was now looking into the eyes of two women who he had come to adore as his own family, and in a matter of time, they soon would be.
Miles and Carter could see the tears in both women’s eyes as Grams had a tissue and dabbed at her eyes but the smile in her eyes was bright enough to light up the dimly lit room from their end of the call.
Grams then offered her daughter a tissue as she said, “Congratulations dear.” She shook her head. “And it’s about time.”
Miles broke into a toothy grin as Carter ducked his head low for a brief moment, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief. He looked up and his Mom’s eyes were on him alone, but the smile on her face was the smile of a proud mother whose happiness was in the fact her only son had discovered his own.
“I am so, so happy for you both!” Joanna removed her glasses and wiped at her own eyes before saying, “My boy is getting married!”
Joanna leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, the tears from the joyous news streaming down her cheeks as her own Mom rubbed her shoulders with her hands. Grams looked down at her daughter from over her shoulder and leaned in and whispered something to her, to which Joanna shook her head. Grams then looked back into the camera and said, “I don’t think your Mom is going to be in much condition to go into work now. She’ll never get to sleep!” She then waved a finger back and forth between Carter and Miles. “And you boys had better be in Washington soon so we can celebrate in person!”
“Yes ma’am.” Miles said with the utmost politeness and respect, as Carter said, “Love you both!”
“We love you too dear.” Grams said as Joanna was still trying in vain to compose herself. “That goes for you both! We’ll be seeing you boys soon!”
The goodnights were said and soon, the call was ended. Carter held his eyes closed as he breathed in deeply, drinking in the scent of Miles’s cologne but more so, that this night had really happened, and he had just shared the news with his Mom and Grams that he was getting married. That was when he felt Miles’s arms snake around him again from where he stood behind him and he heard the words whispered in his ear, “Not to cheapen the mood but… where is that Twister game of yours?”
Olympia, Washington -
Today
The weather in Olympia, Washington had been cold and wet, not altogether that unusual of an occurrence for this time of the year. The winter cold front that had moved in had caused more than just what many locals had expected to be freezing rain and sleet and had turned into a light snowfall that had blanketed the state capital and the large waterfront caused the temperatures to dip far below normal, currently just over forty degrees. And while locals were used to such weather changes in their home state, visitors not so much. One such as the man behind the wheel of the cobalt blue Chevrolet Equinox as it coursed down the road, alongside waterfront properties that had become a calling card to this capital city. Weaving amidst traffic, Miles Kasey was taking great care as he followed the directions of the GPS. Miles, being from London, had no qualms or issues at driving in wet weather, be it rain or snow as he had dealt with both back home in England during his years there.
“You know, I could have driven.” Carter broke the silence between them as Miles was focused on driving as carefully as he was able while the usual lunatics drove around him; men and women who seemed more likely to have received their drivers licenses from the bottom of a box of cereal rather than a DMV.
“Yes, well…” Miles cracked a smile as his eyes remained on the road ahead, his eyes flickering only briefly to the illuminated screen of the GPS on the dash to ensure he was going in the right direction. “I didn’t want to say anything at first but your Mom made me promise I’d be the one doing the driving.”
Carter turned his head and was about to question this random fact when Miles held up a hand, “Don’t pout. Your Mum said she rode with you enough to know what you’re like behind the wheel. And Mum knows best!” Carter all but rolled his eyes at the “audacity” of his Mom thinking he was anything but the perfect driver. But he was quick to forgive. He and Miles fulfilled the promise they gave to visit Seattle at the earliest possible convenience, and of course by then Carter was receiving numerous texts and messages of congratulations from family members from across the states. His Mom and Grams both obviously had been unable to contain the news for very long. And from the moment they arrived at the McKinney household, both Carter’s Mom and Grams had been all over Miles, welcoming him into the family.
“Thank you for coming with me, Miles.” Carter said from the passenger seat, having torn his attention away from the beauty of the light snowfall around the surrounding scenery and waterfronts. Miles made a face and said, “Like there was any reason I wouldn’t! Face facts babe, you’re stuck with me!”
Carter laughed, but he said, “No, I mean… I’m just glad we took the time to come to Seattle so Mom and Grams could get it out of their system. If we hadn’t, you never would have heard the end of it.”
“You mean ‘we’ never would have heard the end of it.” Miles corrected him, but Carter laughed and shook his head. He said back, “No, I mean ‘you’. You’re the one marrying into the family so ‘you’ never would have heard the end of it!”
From the driver’s side, and from out of the corner of Carter’s eye, he saw Miles smile. Not one of his toothy, pearly white smiles, but a softened smile that Carter had come to understand about him that it came from deep within. Carter had never suspected Miles would have been as nervous as he was when he proposed over two weeks ago, or that the source of those nerves was the fear that Carter might somehow turn him down. But now it just felt like Miles was radiating from the inside. Miles stole a glance at the GPS and said, “We should be getting there soon.”
Carter turned to the window and watched as the interstate had turned into more of a neighborhood rich in the lush life that his home state of Washington was known for. Carter had never been to Olympia before but visiting his family gave him the excuse he needed to finally do what he had been putting off for months; visiting the house that his dad had left him in his will. The sudden and overwhelming pain of his dad’s death, especially after they had reconnected, hit him so hard he had been avoiding doing this very task ever since the reading of the will. Now.. he had no further excuses.
The waterfront continued around them but the homes grew further apart, and each one had a rich lifestyle to its own. Some seemed Victorian in architecture, others more modern. Some houses were small and others more grand, but there was something classy… posh … no, luxurious about each one they passed. It had Carter wondering if they were in the right part of the city when the car turned into what was a private drive and they passed several towering trees on both sides until the SUV slowed to first a crawl and then to a full on stop. Carter turned to Miles who stared straight ahead but said not a word. Carter turned to look and did a double take at what laid before them….
“Wow…”
TBC…
Even though the holidays had long since passed, there was still something magical about this time of the year in the state of Seattle. The weather, while unpredictable by nature (pun intended) could range anywhere from bright, blue skies but with snowfall to gray and overcast with a freezing cold rain falling from the heavens. But it was on one such cold morning, on the front of the quiet and tranquil Lake Saint Clair, where we found Carter McKinney standing on the edge of the lake, dressed in his favorite feathered jacket, his hands tucked in the pockets while his eyes, hidden behind a pair of violet shades, roamed across the surface of the lake while snow gently fell to the surface.
“The past several weeks have just been one chaotic turn after another. For every step forward I managed to take inside of the ring, it seems something happened that set me several steps back. I know that sounds cliche and like some bad eighties pop rock hit, but I’ve never really been one to mince words when it comes to my own career just for the sole purpose to try and puff myself up and make things appear to be going better than it has. I’ve received a number of chances at championships which trust me - I am and was infinitely grateful for. I just haven’t had the same luck in taking advantage of those chances as I have been in getting them in the first place. And do you know where my eyes were truly opened?”
“It was when I got pitched out of the first round of the World Heavyweight tournament by Finn Whelan, who is now in the finals. It was the catalyst that opened my eyes and made me realize a few things about myself. Maybe I peaked too early in my career in SCU. Maybe the talent comparisons between SCW and SCU are really just that vast that I can’t seem to replicate the same level of success in SCW that I enjoyed down in SCU. And maybe, just maybe, I am right now where I am meant to be in the grand scheme of things. When you find yourself at peace with these realizations and what comes of them, then overall … you’re fine.”
Carter shrugged.
“Championships are not the ‘be all, end all’ in this sport. Those are the words I’ve heard from a certain ‘White Wolf’ who had his own dominant run a few years ago. He told me that championships come and go. It’s the quality of your competitive spirit and your competition – now that is infinite. That’s why I’m here, and that’s why I’m up[ against the high and mighty ‘Mr. Golden Briefcase’ Rodrigo Afonso. Well that and I was told he was after new names to face inside of the ring, rather than the same old ones, time after time.”Carter turned toward the camera and gave it a friendly wave, smiling almost comically. He frowned and then pointed toward the camera.
“You are here, right Rodrigo? I mean, after some of the complaining that I’ve heard about you wanting to face fresh faced talent in the ring… Well, it would have made both of us look pretty ridiculous if you didn’t show up. And not that I blame you for wanting to face new challenges rather than a dozen matches against Bill Barnhart or Matty Mallow or… whoever. Facing the same people so many times won’t accomplish anything but to cause what skills you already have to pretty much atrophy. The only way to sharpen things and evolve would be to face new people, challenges you haven’t yet faced before so…”Carter tilted his head back and spread his arms wide.
“Here I am!”Carter then turned aside and he started to walk along the banks of Lake St. Clair, all the while continuing on with his thought process.
“Here’s something you might not be aware of Rodrigo – as much as you’re looking forward to facing someone new … so am I. See, we – you and I? We’ve never faced one another before so this will be just as much a change of pace for me as it will be for you. The only difference being which of us is going to be able to take advantage of the situation to our own benefit. That … is where I come in. Now I know that you’ve been strutting around backstage, carrying that Golden Briefcase of yours and teasing and taunting the champions that you could cash in at any given moment but really… not to sound too catty but winning that briefcase wasn’t exactly the pinnacle of your career. I’ve never been fond of ladder matches because to me, climbing a ladder doesn’t determine who the better wrestler is. Just who is the fastest or the luckiest. It’s the same reason I’ve never been high on hardcore matches because how the hell does hitting someone with a chair or garbage can prove that you’re the better athlete? I mean I’ve been in them when warranted but it’s just not my bag. The only way that you’re going to prove who is the better wrestler is by actually wrestling. And yes, you have done spectacular for yourself in that regard. You’ve pulled off some pretty impressive wins for yourself and that just makes me all the more excited to be able to be inside of the ring with you.”
“You see, it’s not that often that I get to be in the ring with someone my size, or even a bit smaller by comparison. While I have a couple inches on you (pun not intended), you have a few pounds on me. Not enough of a gap to really play any factor so what about our training? While I don’t know who was responsible for who brought you into the sport, I was trained by Gabriel and Odette Stevens at the GO Gym so if you’ll excuse my frankness - advantage … Carter.”
“Our ring styles aren’t even altogether that different from what I’ve seen and trust me when I tell you. I’ve seen plenty. We’re both high flyers. And when we’re not risking our necks up in the air, neither one of us are incapable of putting on a more ground based attack. I don’t know about you, but when I first entered this sport, I was convinced taking to the air was made for me and it was the only way to go.”Carter shook his head.
“I had Gabriel beat that right out of my head on day one. He opened my eyes and made me see that being one dimensional inside of the ring was a one-way ticket to going literally nowhere in this sport. If all I did was take to the air, the risk of injuries went from here…”He held a hand down to waist level.
“To here.”He held his hand high over his head.
“Not to mention that no matter how fast you are, no matter how many risks you’re willing to take, there is always going to be someone faster than you and more death defying. So where does that leave you when you find yourself up against someone just like you inside of the ring?”Carter tilted his head back and lifted his shades just enough so that his eyes could focus on the camera, unhidden. He smiled his pearly whites.
“I guess we’ll be seeing soon enough, won’t we?”Carter then continued along his way.
“When I was going back and re watching some of your matches, I couldn’t help but notice that you had Bill Barnhart’s number. You’ve beaten men like Matty Mallow and shown what you’re capable of against greats like Peter Vaughn and Goth. I’m not ashamed to admit I tried once or twice to strip that Roulette title from around Vaughn’s waist and he handed me the same losses that he handed you. And Goth … well… That man is a legend in this business and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame for a reason. And there is a reason why he is in the finals of the World Heavyweight tournament. But unlike you, when I went up against him. I won.”Carter held up two fingers and mouthed ‘twice’.
“And I felt damn lucky to walk away with the wins against that man, make no mistake. I’m not one to gloat and lie and say I had his number because the fact was, I didn’t. He beat me senseless and I felt sore for days but I. Still. Won. And the more I think about where you and I stand, the more I am anticipating this match because it just might be the shot in the arm that I need. So if you'll pardon my saying that in all honestly -- you are just that damn impressive Rodrigo, and when the time is right and if you cash in that briefcase smartly, you’re going to be a champion. I mean, we can all see it from the outside looking in.”Carter then paused mid-step and frowned.
“Funny thing about that is I’ve had one or two people say the same about yours truly. Most recently, I had Ben Jordan call me a future champion and predict that I’d be a World Heavyweight Champion one day.”Carter looked down and smiled, albeit somewhat subdued.
“I thought he was just bullshitting me or paying me lip service - and you’d understand if you’d been inside of my own head the past few weeks. Or if you were more familiar with the past I’ve shared with Mister Jordan. Let’s just say that I was a right prick and be done with it, m’kay? Right! Anyway, I’ve gotten off track here. My point is, having a man like the “Cockney King” put such faith in my future in this sport really got me here…”He tapped his fingertips sharply over his heart.
“When a man like Ben Jordan, who many of us look to as a locker room leader, says something like that? It makes you sit up and listen. It makes you open your eyes and see what lies ahead. And right now, you’re what’s ahead of me, Rodrigo. How about you and I steal this show?”Carter saluted at the camera and continued walking along the lake as the scene faded out.
